


merry christmas, my love

by prongs117



Category: Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4045519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prongs117/pseuds/prongs117
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ross on Christmas at Trenwith, 1787. Inspired by a scene in 1x04.</p>
            </blockquote>





	merry christmas, my love

Ross had sat talking to Francis so late that when he entered their room in Trenwith, Demelza was long asleep. In truth, she hadn’t tried to wait up for him, tired as she was from the trying day. Realizing that his wife was sleeping, he tried to move about the room as quietly as possible knowing from experience that Demelza is a light sleeper.

 _No doubt the result of a childhood with a father who beat her,_ he thought darkly.

It was a strange night for him in many ways. His deteriorating relationship with Francis, while not yet fully healed, seemed to be getting better after their talk and he found out that he missed his cousin’s company. But it was Demelza who surprised him the most. She carried off the evening with grace and aplomb. He had never been ashamed of her but it never occurred to him before tonight that Demelza might have more to offer the world than just being mistress of Nampara. He was also selfish enough to fear that one day she might outgrow him.

It started with the silly remark Verity made about Demelza making a conquest of John Treneglos. While amusing at the time and he was by no means jealous, it caused him to observe her in a new light. She really could carry herself like a lady and nobody would be any wiser. It wasn’t only that though. He found he could no longer regard her in a detached and objective manner. In short, he was in love.

Without meaning to, he became the man who befriended his kitchen maide, slept with her then married her out of some sense of justice or nobility and promptly fell in love. He didn’t quite know what to do with it yet. He wanted to tell her but it would also mean coming clean about his reasons for marrying her. While he suspected Demelza already knew, hearing it from him would still hurt and he didn’t want to her more than he already had.

It was just a big mess all around. After what happened with Elizabeth, he had been almost glad he no longer had to worry about such things. He could run risks with his life in the battlefield or on behalf of his friends but dealing with emotions and feelings was not something that came naturally to him.Then Demelza comes along with her songs and wildflowers and because she was a scullery maid, he did not think there was any danger there. He did not think. Well, he supposed he should have known one did not have to think to feel. There was no help for it now, he was in so deep he didn’t want to get out of it.

Maybe he doesn’t know how to tell her yet, maybe he needs time but looking at her now, seeing the face he looked forward to waking up to each morning, he couldn’t help saying it, _Merry Christmas, my love_.


End file.
